As it was an exceptional day for the last day of October, Jeremy and I walked down to the coast from the campsite – a walk we had been promising to do if the weather improved.
We got down near the sea at Nare Head where we found some flat rocks that made a great place to stop for lunch.
We got my compass/thermometer out to check the temperature at lunch time.
South West Coast Path Read More »
It was an unpromising, wet start to the day, which caused us to go out and get a cooked breakfast – pancakes, sausage, syrup and tea.
In between the showers we made our way down to Land’s End where the weather cleared and we got in several miles walking along the cliff tops.
The first (and last) trig point!
Yesterday started off foggy and misty at the campsite but still rather warm for the time of year. We decided to spend the day on the north coast where we hoped the fog would be cleared.
Newquay
We had a great walk along the beach, out to the fishing harbour and back which included a couple of hot Cornish pasties whist sitting watching and listening to the waves break on the beach.
St Agnes
From Newquay we went onto St Agnes where we again walked out to the cliffs.
Cornish Tin Mines
Newquay and St Agnes Read More »
I wanted to publish this post about my Autumn walk yesterday, but ran out of time as I went to the Lincoln Film Society and watched the 1924 film about the Everest expedition, on which George Mallory and Andrew Irvine were lost. The documentary had been restored from archive nitrate stock and a modern music score had been added, with very occasional sound effects absorbed into this score.
I am so pleased I went, this film it was excellent. With the original silent movie captions adding a voice contemporary with the pictures, there was no modern commentary to distract from looking at the images of a past world. The film was made by Captain John Noel (war hero, explorer, spy and then documentary film maker) and he captured haunting images of Everest and some very personal shots of the Tibetan people. Some of the comments and images were jarring to a modern audience but that also told us a lot about the people who made the film. This is likely to be the highlight of the Film Society’s season for me, just three films into it!
(I found this book, Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921, which documents the expedition that was mentioned in the lecture before the film.)
When I got home, the NFL American Football Red Zone had started on my iPad so that was that!
I was up and out early this morning for an autumn walk, to take advantage of the low sun and the misty weather. I was not disappointed as I got some excellent autumn photographs.
The photo of the day – here – was taken shooting straight into the rising sun, but moving to obscure the sun as much as possible behind a tree. I tried using the Camera+ app and the exposure compensation to get this image but in the end Pro HDR was the app for the job. It took care of the wide range of light in the image. The image I finally used was the one produced in Pro HDR but I then brightened it to bring out the details in the foreground.
click on the above image for a larger version
The spider web image above was made using Camera+ macro mode. The disadvantage with this mode is the very shallow depth of field, leaving much of the image out of focus. This shot is one of a series I took, each with a different point of focus so when editing I could choose the one that gave the best results.
Branston Hall Hotel – just the kind of Autumn Walk shot I was looking for
click on the above image for a larger version
Above – there was a convenient bench, for a brew up, along my Autumn walk.
I had two new bits of gear with me today on my Autumn walk: I was field testing a new JK Sonics first aid kit and I have a new Sierra cup.
The Sierra cup was a gift from Guitar George, who has just spent a month driving from Los Angles to New York. I have a traditional large, heavy duty steel Sierra cup that I bought in the late ’80s when I was travelling in Australia but for a while now, I’d wanted a lighter weight version, ideally with a folding handle and I had not seen one in the UK. As George was going to the USA I asked him to get me one. (I did look into buying one on the internet but the P&P and VAT was too much.)
The cup is stainless steel, but it is not heavy duty so the weight is kept down. The fold out handle locks securely when in use and when folded away makes the cup compact and easy to pack. It has no lid but I think I will see if I can get one made for it. It does not have the crook handle of the traditional design, but I do not hook it to my belt. As camp cups go it has many disadvantages, large surface area so drinks cool down quicker and it is inefficient as a cooking pot, but occasionally my gear does not have to be 100% efficient.
This morning, even though I had my titanium mug and lid with me, I boiled the water for my coffee in the Sierra cup.
Now with burn marks!
breakfast today was instant 2 in 1 coffee, left over Naan bread from last night’s dinner and Cranberry biscuits
In the above photo you can see the JK Sonics personal first aid kit. It is a small, pocket sized kit, that Nick and I have designed for personal use. It is a kit to take on day walks and short walks when the Adventure First Aid Kit is too large. It has a place in my work bag, as a useful kit to have with me for those times I cut myself on unfinished metal inside computer cases. It will also make an ideal Christmas present – Nick wanted me to say that!
It is designed to fit in a pocket but the case will expand so you can add extra kit if you want. I have a some more photos and I will write a more extensive review later this week.
here is the kit in my bag
I have had this WWII gas mask case since I was at school, when I bought it from an Army surplus store, Millers in Grays, Essex, to use when on outdoor adventures. I remember carrying my school books in it and one of the pockets still shows an outline where I carried a “Lofty Wiseman”, tobacco tin survival kit. Over the years I have had to replace the lid press studs and the shoulder strap and it is showing some wear, but it still makes a good bag to grab for a short walk.
the stamp in the top of my bag
When it was made in 1942, I am sure no one would have expected it to still be in use more than seventy years later and they could not have imagined the kind of kit I carry in it today.
An Autumn walk, new kit, old kit and The Epic of Everest from 1924 Read More »
click on the above image for a larger version
For the third Sunday morning in a row I had to drop Diana off early in the city centre. This week I had some time so I packed a few items, including my breakfast and backpacking cooking gear and planned to walk a section of the Water Rail Way. Although it was gloomy outside when I got up at 6am, by the time I was parking the car in Washingborough it was a beautiful morning.
A short walk along the path and I found a convenient bench, in the sun shine with a good view for breakfast.
I am using a new pad/sit mat in the back of my Sea to Summit rucksack – I bought it recently at Go Outdoors for a couple of pounds – it is thicker and stiffer than the previous pad, giving more comfort and some structure to the pack. I had to cut the “handle” off the mat to make it fit.
Sea to Summit Travel Pack – finished
Breakfast was homemade steamed coconut buns, left over from last night’s dinner and homemade raspberry jam. I made some fresh coffee to go with it using my tea strainer “coffee maker”. It was an excellent breakfast sitting by the river – beats last week’s breakfast in McDonalds.
The coconut buns are a recipe from Jamie Oliver and are really easy to make. The recipe says use a food processor but I just sieve the flour into the coconut milk and stir it in with a fork. To make things easier I spoon the mixture into the paper cases. For extra lift I add a teaspoon of baking soda with the sieved flour. I split the mixture into 14 smaller buns, which fit nicely onto the steamer tray in my wok. For buns with extra spice I sprinkle some chilli flakes onto the buns before cooking.
Cold, the next day, with jam and butter they make a tasty breakfast.
Water Rail Way – Sunday morning breakfast Read More »
I had to drop Diana off in the city at 7am this morning, so it was a good opportunity, on the way home, to park in Washingborough and walk along the Witham. The light was low in the sky and bright so it gave some good late summer shots.
I’d packed my breakfast and cook set, so I had my tea cakes with homemade raspberry jam and tea, sitting on one of the benches on the river bank, looking out on the river. A very quiet and calm way to start a Sunday.
Why does tea always taste better when you drink it outside?
Shadows are always a problem when shooting landscapes with a strong, low sun.
Unfortunately I could not make a day of it, as I had to get back to my office. We have a big job on tomorrow in Grimsby and I need to make sure everything is organised and ready for Martin to head up there first thing.
A couple of hours walking along the Witham Read More »
